known fact that a strong southwardly current prevails between Formosa and
the coast of China, particularly during the northeast monsoon, when the northwardly
current along the east coast of Formosa continues unimpeded, would
seem to give probability to this conjecture-of the gentlemen. The southwest
monsoon may possibly affect this counter-current, and force it to mingle
its waters with those of the Kuro-siwo, or “ Japanese gulf stream,” between
the north end of Formosa and the southwest extremity of Japan. The
Vandalia was ordered from Hakodadi, to pass westward through the Straits
of Sangar and proceed to China, on the western side of Japan. One object
of this was to make observations on current and temperature; but, unfortunately,
the Commodore left China before the report was made, and it has
never reached him.
The existence of this counter-current, however, is so well known by vessels
trading on the coast of China, that they Beldom attempt to heat to the
northward through the Formosa channel, but usually make the passage to
the eastward of Formosa during adverse winds, even though such winds
may be stronger on the east side of the island than in the Formosa channel.
Lieutenant Bent traced also some striking analogies between this Kuro-
siwo (great stream) of Japan, and our gulf stream. His observations were
strikingly confirmatory of the views that have been expressed both by Mr.
Kedfield and Lieutenant M. F. Maury, as to the cause of the deflection of
the Atlantic gulf stream to the eastward, and the cold counter-current below
or between it and the shore. The first is not caused by the water impinging
on land, and being thereby turned to the east, but by the greater
rotative velocity of the latitudes at and near the equator, which throw the
gulf stream eastward; and the second is produced by the tardy rotation of
the high latitudes operating on the cold counter-current setting southward
from the pole and throwing it to the west, along the shores and soundings
of' our Atlantic coast. The Grand Bank itself, Mr. Kedfield thinks, is less
a cause than an effect. Now there are precisely similar currents, warm and
cold, with the same relative position, too, on the coast of Japan. I t may be
that the first northward direction of both currents may he produced by the
configuration of the eastern sides, of America and Asia respectively, but
their turn to the eastward afterwards is probably not influenced by any
agency of the land in its shape or position.
There are other analogies whieh Mr. Bent remarked. These are found
in the strata of cold water in the gulf stream, marked by professor Bache
on the charts of the coast survey in the report of-1853, and corresponding
strata, derived entirely from the observations made on our Japan expedition.
A comparison of temperatures of the two streams (Atlantic and Pacific)
showed a striking coincidence. The maximum was the same; but in the
Kuro-siwo, the difference between its temperature and that of the ocean,
proper to the latitude where taken, was somewhat greater than in the gulf
stream.
There is also a sea-weed floating in the Kuro-siwo, similar in appearance
to the fucus natans of the gulf stream; specimens of it were collected,
but unfortunately lost before reaching the hands of the scientific botanists
to whom it was to be submitted. We cannot therefore say it was the same
plant in the classifications of science; but to a sailor’s eye there was no
difference between it and the weed of the gulf stream. Lieutenant M. F.
Maury is of the opinion that this current in the Pacific has its origin in the
Indian Ocean, where the temperature is much greater than in the Caribbean
sea, and where the waters, obstructed on the north by tropical lands, must
somewhere make a current by which to escape; but this supposition appears
to us questionable.
While steering along the shore to the northward, the steamers, being
about six miles from the land, and off Isomura, approached a fleet of fishing-
boats, where there was noticed a discoloration of the water and an unusual
drift of soa-wced. Soundings were then taken with the deep-sea-lead, and
seventy-four, and then eighty fathoms, with a bottom of fine black sand,
were found. The vessels still continuing to run along the shore within five
or six miles, and Dai-ho-saki or White Cape being made, another cluster
of fishing-boats was noticed under sail, apparently trailing for fish. About
them the water was observed broken and discolored, and when the steamers
had reached within a mile of the spot, their engines were stopped, and the
lead again thrown, when soundings were obtained in thirty fathoms, coral
bottom. The ships’ course being changed from northeast by east to southeast,
and running slowly and cautiously, they came suddenly on the eastern
edge of the broken water into twenty-one fathoms, with what is called overfalls,
and a bottom of coral as before. There seemed every reason to
believe, from these indications, that there was a dangerous ledge lying
directly in the way along the coast, at a distance from the land where such
a danger would be hardly looked for. The Commodore would have anchored
and examined this ledge had it not been for the near approach of
night; and as for waiting until next day, the necessity of being at Hakodadi
on the 19th of May, made it advisable not to lose any time by delay.
I t is true, with good weather, there was every reason to expect that the
voyage might be accomplished in a day or two before the time appointed,
but with the frequency of fogs about the Straits of Sangar, and the experience
of the vexatious detentions caused by those annoyances, there could be
no certainty in the calculation.
During the day-time the course was kept along the coast, although at night
the ships were hauled a little off. On the 15th of May, Cape Kurosaki
came into sight, with its elevated peaks in the interior covered with snow.
The atmosphere was fresh and invigorating, the mean temperature of the
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